house on stilts

My Intuitive Painting and Drawing class was great last night. We painted from a still life set up to focus on paint and color. The point of the exercise was not to create a still life painting. Yeah, I know, weird, right?

I started painting the red teapot that had an orange sitting next to it. Then when I was ready I flipped the canvas 90 degrees, then started painting a green pot. Then I flipped the canvas again and started painting the flesh tones of a pig that was up on the stand. Etc, etc.

The point of doing all this was to break free from preconceptions, from expectations. To really just look at color and how we use paint to lay color down. The first time I turned my canvas, I kind of experienced this odd feeling…like, wait, this is not how it’s supposed to work! But I went with the flow and felt myself loosening up and just enjoyed myself playing with the paint.

At break time we put our canvases or paper or the wall. I didn’t even know which direction to put it up. I chose randomly and several people said that my red teapot(now upside down) looked like a house. And I was like, hmmm, yes it does.

When we continued to work on them, I decided to develop that. And then as I was working and little red legs started to appear under the house, I remembered a dream that I had taken note of in my dream journal just a few weeks ago. I dreamt of a house on stilts. And so, I went with it.

I may develop this exercise into a finished painting eventually. I just thought the exercise was really great for me. It was a relaxing class last night, something that I really needed. I am so glad I signed up for this class. I really like the instructor and my fellow students. The six of us!

Paula of Second Studio blog left me a comment the other day that we both followed up together through emails. She asked me if and how my work has changed through the years. It definitely has changed, developed, grown. And right now I amd definitely going through another change. Even though I still work on my small mixed media pieces (for my journals) in my usual style, I am sensing a change inside while I’m working. Something a little looser. This post is long enough already, I’ll write more about it at some later point.

What a fascinating excercise! Thank you for taking the time to let us follow the path you took during the excercise. I like the whole concept of the class and am feeling envious of not having one here to take!Change must be in the air (no, not a political ad here), but I sense it too in my work.I feel myself wanting to explore new horizons, push myself more outside of my comfort zones. It's like being on the cusp.Or, perhpas it is a small part of the Mayan Prophecy we are witnessing?

Bridgette - this painting is lovely - a different energy then your other work on this site - I studied with a woman for 5 years that taught this way - it's very freeing isn't it? - a wrong mark one way, turned, becomes a door to something else

I love the whole idea of this exercise. Painting a still life is like pulling teeth to me... it is so focused and I find it exhausting. The colors and shapes you have used have so much energy in them...really cool thanks for sharing!Beth